During the daily operation in a laundry shop, sticker residue on garments is a common challenge for practitioners. Different price tags, brand stickers, shipping labels, and warning stickers stick to fabrics. After peeling off, stubborn adhesive residue affects the overall appearance of garments and reduces the cleaning quality. This brings trouble to the quality of garment care and the customer experience of laundries.
The main reason sticker residue is difficult to remove is that the bottom of the sticker has tough industrial adhesives, especially commercial labels, shipping waterproof stickers. After adhering to fabric fibers, they cannot be removed thoroughly by the regular washing. If handled inappropriately, adhesives will not be removed, causing fabric pilling, color fading, and fiber damage. They will even penetrate into fabrics, becoming permanent stains.
In order to thoroughly remove sticker residues, laundry shops should use proper methods according to fabric materials. Grasping professional and safe adhesive removal methods can rapidly clean adhesive residue and protect clothing fabrics.
Conventional Materials
Complex and professional chemicals are not required for daily sticker residue removal. Basic cleaning materials in laundries and homes, combined with standardized methods, will easily solve this problem. The process is simple, safe, and gentle, which is suitable for many common clothing fabrics.
– surgical spirit or white vinegar
– cotton ball or clean lint-free cloth
– neutral dish soap
– soft-bristle brush (on-demand)
– laundry detergents for regular clothes
Detailed Steps
- Fabric testing
This is a key step before using the residue removal solution. Prioritize finding the hidden positions, including inside the garments, hemline, and seams. Apply a little alcohol or white vinegar to fabrics and leave it for a few minutes. Check if there are problems such as fading, whitening, hardening, and fiber damage to the fabric. After ensuring there is no damage, apply it to sticker residue to avoid laundry accidents at the source.
- Adhesive softening
Soak cotton balls or clean cloth in surgical spirit or white vinegar and make sure they are full of liquid. Use the soaked cotton ball to wipe the surface of the sticker residue repeatedly and gently. Alcohol can quickly dissolve tough adhesive and white vinegar can soften it. During the continuous wiping process, stubborn stains gradually resolve and emulsify, separating from clothing fibers.
- Soaking
After applying alcohol or white vinegar, don’t wipe fabrics at once. Allow the liquid to stay on the surface of the adhesive for three to five minutes. Sufficient soaking time can deeply soften stubborn adhesive. This significantly reduces the difficulty in removing the residue and the friction damage to garments by repeated operations.
- Removing gently
After the adhesive is fully softened, gently remove the surface of adhesive residue with a finger pad. Or gently brush along the fabric grain with a soft-bristle brush. During the whole process, don’t rip and scrape forcefully. Harsh methods will scratch fabric fibers, causing pilling and damage. The process should be carried out gently and slowly, especially for delicate fabrics such as silk, knitted fabric, and thin chiffon.
- Spot cleaning
Once most adhesives have been removed, drop a little neutral dish soap on the residue. Dish soap is good at removing grease and adhesive residue. Rub the stains in circles with fingers or slightly brush with a soft-bristle brush. After that, rinse with warm water to remove foam and adhesive residue, helping restore the fabric’s cleanliness.
- Regular washing
Based on the standard laundry process, select proper detergents to do a laundry (machine wash or hand wash). This step can completely remove the remaining liquid, foam, and invisible adhesive, helping garments clean and odor-free.
- Secondary check
Before drying in Kingstar dryer, carefully check the sticker residue on garments, which has been completely removed. If there is little adhesive residue on garments, don’t place them into the dryer. The high heat inside the dryer will accelerate adhesive hardening and lock it within the fibers. It is more difficult to remove it later. For residues, repeat the above steps until they are thoroughly removed.
Conclusion
Wrong adhesive removal methods cannot deliver cleaning results and may cause customer complaints and fabric damage. Select gentle and accessible materials, including alcohol and white vinegar, and follow the entire procedure “testing, softening, cleaning, washing, drying, and rechecking”. This can efficiently remove various adhesive residues and protect different materials of clothing fibers.
Mastering the standardized adhesive removal method not only improves laundry efficiency but also ensures laundry quality, easily solving cleaning problems of sticker residue on garments.
Q&A
Q1: How to build a standardized process, even if a laundry shop faces employee turnover?
A1: Develop the habits of keeping records. When handling special or difficult cases, the laundry shop should record details and solutions. For example, record customers’ special requirements, special-care garments, and abnormal equipment in a shift handover logbook. A laundry shop can gradually build a suitable process by daily recording.
Q2: If I want to open a laundry shop, can Kingstar help initially?
A2: With more than 20 years of experience, Kingstar provides a range of services, including equipment layout, operation training, and store planning.
Q3: I want to open a small laundromat. It can only install 3-4 machines and primarily provide services for nearby residents, what capacity of equipment is recommended?
A3: It is recommended to select the Kingstar 15 kg commercial washer. It is capable of washing everyday clothes and bulky textiles. Stackable machines also help save floor space.
